Lifeguards upset over unjust working conditions

The Cheoc Van swimming pool is currently closed

A total of 24 lifeguards demonstrated against what they consider their employer’s unfair working conditions by not showing up at work, which has caused a temporary closure of two swimming pools since the weekend.

The group organized a press conference yesterday at New Macau Association, disclosing that the company failed to provide copies of contracts, monthly pay slips, and that no annual leave nor day off was given since March 15.

According to lawmaker Sulu Sou – from whom the group has sought help – these employees were forced to work overtime and were only paid 20 percent more than their hourly wage.

According to the Labor Law, if the employees are not willing to work overtime, they should be paid 50 percent more than their hourly wage.

“In past years, the company forced them to sign a document to show that they want to have the overtime. The standard is calculated by 1.2,” he added.

“These lifeguards [were forced] to work 13 hours to 18 hours per day and that is not acceptable,” he said.

According to Sou, some eight to nine lifeguards were obliged to stay and rest in the swimming pool site after their long duty of monitoring facilities and machines.

The lifeguards initially resorted to seeking assistance from the Labor Affairs Bureau on Friday after their management did not respond to their request for dialogue.

On the same day, the management of the company was called in at the bureau, yet, according to Sou, no concrete agreement was established.

Thus, these lifeguards did not show up at work on Saturday, which caused the temporary closure of the Cheok Van Beach and Sun Yat Sen swimming pools.

These employees went back to work on Sunday after the bureau informed them that they could be legally fired from the company if they fail to show up for three days.

“We spent the whole afternoon today [yesterday] in the bureau and they submitted more information about their complaints,” said Sou, noting that they held a meeting with the company’s management.

According to Sou, they called on the company to converse about the past illegal and unjust treatment of workers, stressing that the company should pledge to treat their workers according to laws established by the Labor Affairs Bureau.

“We also urged the company to pledge that the actions of their employees will not result in something negative,” said Sou.

“The company said they want one more week to check all the documents and respond to the lifeguards,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sou criticized the Sports Bureau contract with the company, noting that if such maltreatment occurs, public swimming pools are not safe for residents.

“They accepted this company to provide services for more than ten years. I don’t believe that the bureau did not know what happened inside the human resource management of the company. It’s a big question,” said the lawmaker.

“I find that it’s not safe for public swimming pools and for the public,” Sou added.